Putting Historical Thinking into Practice – Sample Activities

4th Grade

Chronological and Spatial Thinking

  1. Construct a three-dimensional map accurately displaying the deserts, mountain ranges, coastal bays, natural harbors, rivers, valley and delta regions.
  2. Look at a map of the Californian Native American tribes. Find the connection between physical factors and location and the places where they settled. Think about which areas encouraged people to stay longer and why.
  3. Supply students a map of the Peralta ranch that existed along the eastern shore of San FranciscoBay before and after California Statehood. Have students use a current map of the San Francisco Bay Area to locate and then write in modern place names on the Peralta ranch map. Provide a list of events that chronicles how Peralta first obtained and then lost the land.
  4. Look at an ethnic neighborhood/community. Think about or find out why that area of the city was chosen and how people stayed or moved as more time passed. Make maps or charts to show what you find.
  5. Make a map showing routes of different people who migrated or immigrated to California.

Examining Evidence

  1. Read accounts of Mexican people and families who immigrated to California after WWII. Discuss why people chose to come to California and what they experienced after they arrived.
  2. Use a variety of California maps which show climate, geography, Native American settlements, topography to build a basic understanding of how these things influence where human beings decide to settle.
  3. Look at photographs of Hetch Hetchy before and after the dam was built; explain changes that occurred.
  4. Make bar graphs from population charts during the time of the Gold Rush.
  5. Read oral accounts of African Americans who settled in California communities (or neighbor hoods) such as Allensworth, and the West Oakland neighborhood settled by Pullman porters.

Diversity/Multiple Perspectives

  1. Create a chart comparing different views of mission life of California Indians and parish priests.
  2. Read accounts of girls coming to California to compare with the accounts of boys.
  3. Develop a storyboard that depicts the Chinese experience in California history.
  4. Study about C.L. Dellums and the Sleeping Car Porters and the growth of shipbuilding plants in the Bay Area. Find out how these two events brought large numbers of African Americans to northern California. See if other events had similar effects in other parts of the state.
  5. Interview family members or friends about the Civil Rights movement in California in the 1960s. Compare and contrast accounts.
  6. Read oral histories of people who immigrated to California from different Central American countries. Discuss the similarities and differences in their reasons for coming and their experiences once they arrived.

Interpretation

  1. Interview a person who immigrated or migrated to California and write anaccount of that person's trip.
  2. In groups, draw a fivepanel mural that depicts the history of water in California.Assess each panel to determine if the event depicted was beneficial or harmful forthe state and individuals.
  3. Read poems from AngelIsland and explain how the authors felt they were beingtreated.
  4. Look at names of cities in California. Try to find out where the names came from(Native American, Spanish, French, Russian, etc.). Discuss what these names tellabout California's development.
  5. Read a textbook account of the Japanese-American internment and compare it toJourney to Topaz, a fictional account.
  6. Create a pictograph of the growth of industry and technology in California overtime.

Determining Historical/ Geographical Significance

  1. Write newspaper articles about the prospective meeting of the eastern and westernbranches of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, projectingwhat changes this will bring to California and why these changes are important.
  2. Draw a picture explaining why the Pullman porters were important to Oakland,California and the nation.
  3. After studying the Japanese-American internment, write a letter to next year's 4thgraders explaining why it might be important to study this topic.
  4. Have students use primary and secondary source documents to write a one-act playon Cesar Chavez and his importance to California history.
  5. Pick the three most important people in California history and justify your choice.

Oakland Unified School District / Oakland, CA / August, 1999